Reviewing Random Films For Fun

October 19, 2015

L’Atalante #MovieReview

Film 256 in the “1001 Films to See Before You Die” challenge is 1934’s “L’Atalante”. This Jean Vigo French romantic drama is about a newly married couple, Juliette and a ship captain Jean, whom struggle through marriage as they travel on a barge along with the captain’s first mate Jules and a cabin boy. This film put me to sleep. I’m not even joking. Nothing happens in this film. You’re just watching a captain, a cabin boy and a married couple live on a barge travelling down a river. Where are they going? Why do they live on a barge? How decides that walking miles and miles to the barge after getting married was a smart idea? Even better, WHO IS WHO? Seriously, I had no clue who anyone was with the exception of Juliette because she’s the only woman on the barge. This is a film that I have already forgotten what happened during the film because I was so bored. I managed 15 minutes before I fell asleep. In 1999, critic Derek Malcolm had this to say about the film, “As Truffaut has said, in filming prosaic words and acts, Vigo effortlessly achieved poetry”. Fun Fact of the film (sort of) – This would be Jean Vigo’s last film. He died of tuberculosis later that year at the age of 29. If you have seen this film them let me know what you thought of it in the comments. Here is what I managed to say while watching 1934’s “L’Atalante”.

Oh joy, no subtitles!
Hold up! We have subtitles… only in French or Italian
You stay here! I’ve forgotten to pray at church
Someone just got married
And all the men are dressed like Chaplin
I have the feeling that he is an abusive father
Who needs a car after a wedding when we can walk home
Or… We could walk into the countryside
I have no idea what’s happening
Well… There goes the bouquet in the river
Wait… They walked from the church to the middle of nowhere just to board a boat
That’s not how you board boats
You are the only person who looks remotly interested in being in this film
Already they’re fighting! They’ve been married for about 5 minutes
I can’t see a thing
None of these men can play the accordian – Where’s Weird Al Yankovic when we need him
You are too emotionally attached to them cats
Still have no idea what’s happening
How dare you wander around my ship without a shirt on
A man with a beard meets the crew and hands them a vinyl record
ZZZZzzz